Fathers
by Eowyn77
Summary: Companion fic to chapter 23 of Fifty-Eight Nights. Charlie and Carlisle have a little talk, father to father.


I walked into the Thriftway and Bella reluctantly followed me. "Dad," she whined for the tenth time, "we really don't need to bring anything tonight."

I'd never really spent any time with the Cullens socially, and I knew it was kind of late to make a good impression, but my girl was _marrying_ into their family. I wanted to at least try. "I'm going to bring _something_."

With a grimace and sigh, Bella stalked on ahead of me. Only twenty more days, and she'd belong to that…boy. I needed to work harder at this. I didn't want to lose her any more than I already would.

Bella turned down a cleaning aisle and I continued on to the deli. Edward had mentioned s'mores, but maybe the boys would want something more manly, like hot dogs. Little Smokies were good roasted over a fire like that.

"Here, Dad." Bella had found me again and she held out a scented candle in a glass jar. "Let's just get this for Esme as a thank you for inviting us."

No self-respecting man could show up at a bonfire bringing a _freesia-scented candle_. But I didn't want to hurt Bella's feelings. "She'll like that, but I want to bring something more."

Bella rolled her eyes but tucked the candle into the crook of her arm.

Ah, the liquor aisle. Alcohol was always an acceptable gift for a guest to bring. What would someone with as much money as them drink, though? Wine probably, but we weren't going to find anything good enough here. Hmm.... "I should at least bring a six-pack of something. You and the other kids are all too young, but Carlisle and maybe Esme would probably enjoy something to drink."

Bella kind of snickered when I mentioned them being too young, making me worried that maybe there was some underage drinking going on at the Cullen house. But her look of horror when I mentioned the parents distracted me.

"Um... I don't think Carlisle or Esme drink, Dad."

"Ever?"

"Not that I've seen," she said, though she had this odd little smile when she said it.

"What about at the 4th of July?"

She flushed a deep red. "That was virgin, I think."

Large family. Non-drinkers. I felt shocked and a little scandalized as the pieces fell into place. "They're not Mormon, are they?"

Bella looked even more uncomfortable. "I don't _think_ they belong to any church, but I know Edward and Carlisle are pretty religious."

I sighed. This was taking too long. Impatiently, I grabbed a six-pack of my favorite beer and headed toward the check-out. "I feel awkward coming empty-handed. I'll bring a little something along, just in case."

"You really don't need to do this," she said for the eleventh time.

I dropped the beer onto the checkout conveyer belt and pulled out my wallet. "Just give it a rest, Bella."

We rode in Bella's truck since the campsite we were using for the bonfire was in a pretty rugged area and we needed the extra clearance. They already had the fire roaring and Alice skipped over to greet both Bella and me with a hug. Edward monopolized Bella after that, but Esme thanked us for coming and Carlisle warmly shook hands with me.

I gave Esme the candle saying, "This is from Bella," and she smiled like it was some kind of inside joke. Reaching into the bed of the truck, I lifted the six-pack to show Carlisle. "I brought a little something for us grownups."

"Thank you, but I think I'll pass right now," Carlisle answered, and I blushed red to the ears. I should have listened to Bella.

After some small talk, the kids started telling stories. But unlike the horror stories or tall tales I was expecting, they told family history stories. They all took turns – Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Esme.

I smiled at Esme when she finished her tale – a love story. "You sure know a lot about your families, especially..."

Alice looked at me shrewdly. "Especially for being orphans?"

"I was going to say, for being so young." I could feel myself blushing again. Great. Way to put my foot in it and bring up the fact that their parents were all dead. Alice was the last person I wanted to hurt. There was no backing out now, though. "But now that you mention it..."

Fortunately, Alice didn't seem upset. "Well, we still have extended family, you know, and it's amazing what you can learn doing research on your own. For instance, I found out the lady I'm named after was locked up in a loony bin! Can you believe it?"

The _teenagers_ were researching their own ancestors? Tee-totalers and family history – they had to be Mormons! And here I'd offered Carlisle a beer. I wanted to crawl under a rock somewhere.

Edward smirked at me, but Bella came to my rescue by asking Carlisle for a story of his own. It was a good one – about one of Carlisle's ancestors meeting Benjamin Franklin. When Esme asked Bella and me for a story, I was going to tell the one about my Grandma Perry who shamed cops out of giving her speeding tickets, but Bella beat me to the punch. Of course she had to choose a story about _me_ instead of some long-gone ancestor.

Edward had a turn, too, telling his story. I had a hard time looking at him holding Bella on his lap like that – it distracted me and I didn't hear half of what he said.

He didn't deserve her. I hated him – it was a strong word but true – for taking her away. She would have left eventually, but it wasn't just him taking her away _physically._ He was stealing her heart. I'd only barely started to know her again. It had been that way my whole life – I'd only known bits and pieces of my girl, and as soon as we started to be friends again, our two weeks would be up and she was gone. Seeing the way he held her, the way she stared up at him with adoration, made me realize that he already knew her far better than I ever would. The thought saddened me.

Jasper leaned over to whisper in Alice's ear. Looking up at me suddenly, she caught my gaze and smiled. "Who wants s'mores?"

As they passed the roasting forks around, Esme asked me for a story about Bella, since she had told a story about me. "Let's see…" I speared a couple of marshmallows and lowered them to the coals. "There was the time we went snorkeling." And Bella's bikini strap wouldn't stay tied. Renee and I had a pretty heated discussion over the phone that night and Bella wore one-pieces after that.

Bella blushed a deep red.

"And then there was the time the server at that diner insisted on giving Bella a free dinner just for being so dang cute."

"Dad," she muttered.

"But I always get a chuckle about Bella's first week in kindergarten."

Bella looked a little less mortified, so I decided that was a safe one. Besides, it was more about Renee being embarrassed than Bella. After all, Bella had no idea back then who the DCFS was.

I was just getting to the good part when Emmett's marshmallow caught fire. Trying to put it out, he shook it harder than he meant to and it flew off the fork, landing in Rosalie's hair.

Suddenly Carlisle was on his feet. "You know, Charlie, I think I _could_ use a beer right about now. Let's walk down to the truck."

We hadn't gone ten yards when there was a thud and a roar of laughter. Then it sounded like an all-out brawl had erupted behind us. I could barely hear Esme's voice in the background, scolding, "Behave you two!"

I looked sidelong at Carlisle, who walked unconcernedly beside me. "Sounds a bit wild back there."

"Oh, they're just rough-housing. With three teenage boys under the same roof, Esme and I have gotten used to it. Alice and Rosalie can hold their own against their brothers pretty well, too."

"Yeah, well," I glanced back over my shoulder, "Bella didn't grow up with a houseful of brothers."

"Edward will keep her safe." Carlisle smiled as though finding deep joy at the thought. We arrived at the truck and I reached into the bed of the truck for a couple cans of beer.

He took the one I offered, and I almost sighed in relief. I hadn't offended him, then. This was the perfect chance to get at what had been bothering me since they first up and disappeared. "Bella really loves Edward." It came out almost like an accusation.

Carlisle paused to open his can before answering. "She's good for him – and he knows it. I cannot fully express how much he regrets what happened when we left." His gaze met mine, sincerity plain on his face. "We all feel horrid about it."

Something about that open expression invited me to honesty as well. "Why did you let him do it, Carlisle? If he felt badly and you felt badly, why didn't you make him call at least?" Why didn't _you_ call? What kind of a parent are you?

Carlisle nodded toward the dirt road and we began walking in silence, nursing our beers as we went. Finally, he said, "My family presents some unique challenges, Charlie. All in all, we do very well, but we don't have the advantage you do. Edward's not mine, not really. He is his own person and has been since the death of his parents. He even ran away once, a long time ago." He looked at me suddenly, afraid of how I might judge Edward. "I only tell you this to help you understand."

I nodded, assuring him this conversation would go no further than the two of us. Twelve-year-old rebels were tough enough for biological parents. Edward's past was the past. It was his future – his and Bella's future – that I was worried about.

He smiled gratefully and then continued, "I cannot force Edward to do anything. He is my son because he chooses to be, and since he cannot be mine by blood, I would not have it any other way. Even though it hurt him, I had to let him make his own stupid mistakes."

His own mistakes? His OWN mistakes? "That'd be fine if it only hurt him." I was embarrassed that I'd practically growled at Doctor Carlisle Cullen.

Fortunately, he didn't seem too upset; he actually smiled, though it was sadly. After a moment, he said, "I have no answer to that, Charlie. Guilty as charged."

I was instantly sorry I'd vented my anger at him. Edward was the one I was really angry with. "Don't get me wrong, I know he's eighteen and you can't exactly order him around." Although I had a back-bone and grounded Bella.

"But you're frightened for Bella."

I took a swig of my beer. "Between you and me? Yes. They're so young. And I'm not exactly convinced Edward is the most responsible person around. I mean, he abandoned Bella for _months_." He was rotten for her.

Carlisle paused in the middle of the road, looking back toward the fire as if expecting inspiration to come from there. We heard a loud splash in the creek and some more laughter drift down toward us. Carlisle turned toward me suddenly. "There is nothing I can say that will convince you otherwise, Charlie, though I personally believe Edward to be one of the most mature, responsible people I know. And that includes adults."

His eyes grew in intensity, seeming to glow in the moonlight.

I was riveted.

"I cannot promise you much, but I will promise you this, Charlie Swan. You daughter will never be abandoned like that again. My family will never again cut her off. She is more than the wife of my son. I am adopting her, too. Even if she and Edward drift apart, she will never again be left...comfortless."

I was trembling.

He smiled and took another drink, releasing me from his gaze.

I'd bet my very life on that promise.

Looking a little chagrined, he added, "Not that you won't always be her father. She's just doubly-loved."

* * *

Author's End Note: In case you're wondering, yes, I'm Mormon. I didn't set out to bring up religion in this fic, but with the whole thing about the Cullens being non-drinkers and being experts on "family history," I just couldn't resist. :) Hope no one was offended. :)


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